Nets finally break through: Porter, Randle lead 98-90 win over Pacers

A win that had been coming

For five games, the Brooklyn Nets had found ways to lose. On Sunday night in Indianapolis, they finally found a way to win. Behind 23 points from Michael Porter Jr. and 20 from Julius Randle, Brooklyn beat the Indiana Pacers 98-90 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for its first victory of the 2026-27 NBA season, improving to 1-5 while dropping Indiana to 2-5.

Neither offence sparkled. Brooklyn shot 41 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range; Indiana shot 40 percent overall and 37 percent from deep. On a night when shots would not fall, the Nets won with persistence, rebounding and a decisive third quarter.

Brooklyn had pointed to winnable games slipping away during its 0-5 start. This one came on the first night of a back-to-back, with the New York Knicks waiting on Monday. The Nets won the first three quarters — 20-19, 23-21 and 28-22 — then held on in the fourth.

Porter and Randle steady Brooklyn

Porter set the tone with 23 points and nine rebounds, giving Brooklyn a reliable outlet whenever a possession threatened to stall. Randle added 20 points, five rebounds and six assists, attacking downhill and finding teammates when Indiana sent extra attention his way. Together, they gave Brooklyn two proven scorers producing on the same night.

That steadiness mattered because Brooklyn led only 43-40 at half-time. The Nets had not separated from a Pacers side missing Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac, and the game still felt open. After the break, timing changed everything. In the third quarter, Brooklyn led by 12 points on three separate occasions, pushing the score to 71-62 entering the fourth.

Sharpe and Traore change the game

If Porter and Randle steadied Brooklyn, Day'Ron Sharpe changed the balance inside. The centre had his best game of the season, with 15 points and a team-high 13 rebounds while picking up only two fouls. With no Zubac to anchor the paint, Sharpe helped Brooklyn win the rebounding battle 43-37.

Nolan Traore was equally important, scoring 16 points with six assists and giving Brooklyn a third scorer when the offence needed pace. Moritz Wagner added 14 points off the bench and Noah Clowney eight, as five Nets reached double figures. Brooklyn also survived Indiana's fourth-quarter push, when the Pacers cut the deficit to 75-72 behind back-to-back three-pointers from Larry Nance Jr. and Andrew Nembhard. The Nets answered and lost the quarter only 28-27.

Indiana's fight, and what was missing

Indiana refused to go away. Nembhard led the Pacers with 23 points, Pascal Siakam added 17, Aaron Nesmith and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 11 each, and Isaiah Jackson added 12 off the bench. Without Haliburton to organise the offence and Zubac to protect the rim, however, Indiana's late rally ran out of possessions.

The Pacers stayed within reach for three quarters, but every Indiana run was followed by a Brooklyn answer, and the Pacers never led in the second half. Indiana slipped to a fourth consecutive defeat.

Head coach Jordi Fernandez praised the energy of the whole group, on the floor and on the bench, even when good shots would not fall.

"I really liked the energy of everybody on the team, on the bench, the guys on the floor. We took good shots and they were not falling and a lot of times, the anxiety hits," Fernandez said.

He returned to the same theme when describing how the win was built.

"The team stayed together and won the first quarter, stayed together and won the second quarter, stayed together and won the third quarter, and I think that's what matters the most," Fernandez said. "I know we ended up losing the fourth by one point, but I'd rather take a win like this that you have to grind all the way because that just makes you better."

What this win proves — and what it does not

One win does not erase an 0-5 start. The Nets still shot poorly, still needed a shorthanded opponent to break through, and still face a demanding schedule. What Sunday offers is evidence, not a promise, that the pieces fit better than the record suggested. When Porter leads the scoring, Randle organises and finishes, Sharpe controls the paint and Traore changes the game from the guard spot, Brooklyn is competitive even on a cold shooting night.

Holding Indiana below 100 points was also a step forward after a start defined by lapses at decisive moments. The Nets did not win by suddenly becoming an elite offensive team. They won by rebounding, staying together through missed shots and defending well enough to make a modest total stand up.

What comes next

The schedule offers no pause. Brooklyn faces the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, the second night of its back-to-back, while Indiana hosts the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. The Knicks game will test whether Sunday's composure travels.

For now, the Nets have a win, a blueprint and a little breathing room. They ground out a game they might recently have lost and left Indianapolis with the result that had eluded them all season.